James W. Boswell disclosed a game apparatus in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,042 having a structure which supports three separate gaming levels facing a player for use in competitive entertainment and for developing the player's chipping and pitching golf stroke wherein the player stands in front of the apparatus for stroking the ball to penetrate a selected aperture in a target on any gaming level for determining the player's score.
However, such a conventional game apparatus has the following drawbacks:
1. In order to build such a gigantic structure of three levels of target means, it may increase the player's working load, inconvenience and installation cost.
2. It is suitable for practicing a golf chipping and pitching shot, but not suitable for practicing a putting skill since its target means is designed for catching a lofted ball, not adapted for a rolling stroke of a golf ball.
3. The target means is a fixed type, not adjustable, so that it is not suitable for practicing a golf stroke for simulating many a condition encountered in a true golf course.
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of such a conventional game apparatus and invented the present apparatus for practicing the hitting of a golf ball.